The U.S.-Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program (USJCMSP) has awarded (COPH) Dean its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his two decades of leadership and commitment to global health collaboration.
Vermund, who is also the senior associate vice president of and chief medical officer of the , was honored for his role on the USJCMSP AIDS Panel, where he served from 1998 to 2010, including a term as chair. His leadership helped foster international scientific exchange and collaborative research between the United States and Japan, particularly in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.
鈥淚t came as quite a surprise that USJCMSP leaders have such a long memory,鈥� Vermund said. 鈥淚 was touched by the recognition as I felt honored to participate in this effort to nurture the scientific, public health and medical collaborations of the U.S. partnership with Japan that engaged low- and middle-income countries in Asia.鈥�
Dean Sten Vermund's 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. (Photo by Caitlin Keough)
During his time with the program, Vermund helped lead dynamic bilateral meetings that alternated annually between the U.S. and Japan. He recalled the generosity of Japanese hosts and the enthusiasm of U.S. scientists as key drivers of productive scientific exchange.
鈥淭he dynamic scientific exchange was always frank and mutually fruitful,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here was considerable enthusiasm to participate on the part of U.S. investigators who were invited to our annual meetings.鈥�
One of the program鈥檚 most impactful contributions was the joint effort to share antiretroviral treatment (ART) protocols between the two nations. Vermund noted that this collaboration helped align clinical and regulatory processes, speeding access to new HIV treatments in both countries.
鈥淢y Japanese and American panel member colleagues worked with me closely to facilitate the exchange of ART protocols to hasten the study of investigational therapies,鈥� he said.
Looking back, Vermund highlighted a 2004 meeting in Kyoto as especially memorable, with discussions focused on host genetics and viral evolution, factors that influence susceptibility and disease progression in HIV/AIDS.
For early-career scientists interested in global collaboration, Vermund encouraged getting involved in international programs that align with one鈥檚 interests.
鈥淭here are many global entities that welcome engagement at many levels,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ere at 小黄鸭视频, we have the Global Virus Network, 小黄鸭视频 World鈥檚 Global Discovery Hub and strong ties to Gifu University in Japan and health agencies in Panama. These are all great places to start.鈥�